Skill type game

ABSTRACT

A skill type game having a carrousel in the form of a spoked wheel mounted on a base support for rotation relative thereto about a central vertical axis. The outer ends of the spokes of the carrousel terminate in finger-like portions extending radially outwardly from the vertical axis. A lever type catch member is disposed adjacent the outer periphery of the rotatable carrousel and is movable by a player of the game from an inoperative position to a &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;catch&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; position in an attempt to catch any or selected ones of the finger-like portions at the ends of the spokes of the carrousel. Character members may be removably mounted on the spokes of the carrousel to provide means for scoring the game or the like.

[ 1 Mar. 14, 1972 United States Patent Breslow [54] SKILL TYPE GAME [72] Inventor:

Jeffrey Dale Breslow, Chicago, Ill Primary ExaminerAnton O. Oechsle Marvin Glass & Associates Jan. 19, 1970 Assistant Examiner-Paul E. Shapiro Attorney-Hofgren, Wegner, Allen, Stellman & McCord [73] Assignee:

[22] Filed:

ABSTRACT A skill type game having a carrousel in the form of a spoked wheel mounted on a base support for rotation relative thereto 21] Appl. No.:

about a central vertical axis. The outer ends of the spokes of the carrousel terminate in finger-like portions extending radially outwardly from the vertical axis. A lever type catch member is disposed adjacent the outer periphery of the rotatable carrousel and is movable by a player of the game from an inoperative position to a catch" position in an attempt to catch any or selected ones of the finger-like portions at the ends of the spokes of the carrousel. Character members may be removably mounted on the spokes of the carrousel to provide means for scoring the game or the like.

9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures R ,2 lmmu 9 3 M 4 .6 ALR 3 m u mmM m ana m m m WME s m m m m w m m m m ,D M A m H 3 .l P nu 4 C "n Bl B "URN... m T "m me m m A m mos m "4 r T. h m "I. k S WOCO w my e D SDSR m m mm R E m n max mm W 9999 llll & m m m d Std ooo ol 11 our 1]] 1 Nfifiw nmw 2,2,5, 3322 Patented March. 14, 1972 3,649,009

2Q \NVENTOR 24 dEFFAL-V a BAESAOW I M BY M W MUM ATTOQNEYS SKILL TYPE GAME BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a skill type game designed for the entertainment of the player, and for developing dexterity and coordination for the individual player as well as competition between a plurality of players.

The game of the present invention is a skill type game wherein a carrousel type frame means is mounted on a base support for rotation relative thereto about an axis, and catch means is provided adjacent the rotatable frame means and movable by a player of the game from an inoperative position to a catch" position in an attempt to catch selected portions of the carrousel as the carrousel spins about its axis of rotation. Preferably, the carrousel has a generally circular periphery concentric with its axis of rotation and the selected portions to be caught are angularly spaced about its periphery.

The principal object, therefore, of the present invention is to provide a new skill type game of the character described for developing dexterity and coordination for the individual player as well as competition between a plurality of players.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the rotatable carrousel or frame means comprises a spoked wheel with the outer ends of the spokes terminating in fingerlike portions extending radially outwardly from the axis of rotation of the wheel. The catch means includes means movable into position to embrace the fingerlike portions when the catch means is in the aforesaid catch position. Preferably, the catch means includes a lever member mounted for pivotal movement about an axis generally parallel to the circular periphery of the rotatable carrousel, the axis being disposed intermediate the ends of the lever, with one end of the lever having a pair of spaced arms for embracing the fingerlike portions at the ends of the spokes of the carrousel, and the opposite end of the lever being engageable by a player to pivot the lever about its axis to move the spaced arms into position to embrace the ends of the spokes as the carrousel rotates.

The game described above may be provided in combination with character members removably mounted on the carrousel adjacent the ends of the spokes so as to be removed when the respective associated spoke is caught by the catch means thereby providing means for scoring the game.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a skill type game embodying the concepts ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial vertical section, on an enlarged scale, taken generally along the line 2-2 of FIG. I; and

FIG. 3 is a partial top plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the game shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings includes a spoked carrousel or frame means, generally designated 10, mounted on a generally horizontal base support 12 for rotation relative to the base support about a generally vertical axis defined by an upstanding pintle portion 14 (FIG. 2) of the base support 12. The pintle portion extends upwardly into a centrally disposed hub portion 16 of the rotating carrousel 10. Referring to FIG. 2, the carrousel seats by gravity on and rotates about the top of the pintle 14, as at 18. The base of the pintle l4 and the lower portion of the hub 16 have cylindrical bearing surfaces 200 and 20b, respectively, so as to provide stability for the rotating carrousel 10 and to maintain the carrousel generally in a horizontal plane to prevent it from tipping" about the top ofthe pintle 14.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the rotatable carrousel or frame means 10 comprises a spoked wheel having a plurality of spokes 22 radiating outwardly from the central hub portion 16 of the carrousel at generally equal angular spacing thereabout. The spokes 22 terminate in fingerlike portions 24 which extend radially outwardly from the axis of rotation of the carrousel. Preferably, the spokes 22, along with their associated finger portions 24, are substantially equal in length so as to provide a generally circular periphery for the carrousel concentric with the axis of rotation defined by pintle 14.

For purposes to be described in greater detail hereinafter, each spoke 22 has a saddle portion, generally designated 26, intermediate the ends thereof for receiving character members 28, such as the simulated horses shown in the drawings. The character members 28 are removable from the saddles 26 so as to provide a means for scoring the game, as described in greater detail hereinafter.

A catch means, generally designated 30, is disposed adjacent the periphery of the rotatable carrousel l0 and is movable by a player of the game from an inoperative position (shown in FIG. 1 and in full lines in FIG. 2) to a catch" position (shown in dot clash lines in FIG. 2) in an attempt to catch selected portions of the rotating carrousel, namely the radially extending finger portions 24, as the carrousel rotates about the vertical axis defined by pintle 14. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the catch means 30 includes a lever member 32 mounted on a fulcrum member 34 for pivotal movement about an axis defined by pin 36. The axis of pin 36 is generally parallel to the circular periphery of the carrousel 10, or parallel to its plane of rotation. The fulcrum member 34 for the lever member 32 is mounted on an outwardly extending portion 38 of the base support 12. The inner end of the lever member 32 has a cross piece 40 with a plurality of arm portions 42 extending upwardly therefrom to define a means for embracing or catching the finger portions 24 at the outer ends of the spokes 22 of the rotating carrousel 10. The upwardly extending arm portions 42 are spaced sufficiently so that the finger portions 24 may be caught therebetween. The lever type catch means is pivoted about pin 36 from its inoperative position to its catch" position by depressing the end of the lever member 32 opposite the catch arms 42, as shown by the arrows A in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In playing the game, the carrousel 10, with the removable characters 28 mounted thereon, is rotated in a given direction, preferably in the direction in which the character members are facing. A player then must time or coordinate his movement of the lever type catch means 30 so as to pivot the lever member 32 about pin 36 in an attempt to catch one of the outwardly extending finger portions 24 of the spokes 22. Numerous scoring schemes may be provided. For instance, the character members 28 may be provided with different colors or may have different scores imprinted thereon and a player tries to win the highest scoring character members by catching the respective associated finger portion 24 adjacent which the character member is removably mounted. Or, the character members may be colored or coded, depending upon the number of players playing the game, so that one player attempts to catch" the opponents color or coded member. In addition, the object of the game simply may be to catch more character members, in number, than your opponent. Various other scoring schemes may be devised.

It will also be noted that the arm portions 42 on cross piece 40 of lever 30 provide two sections A and 8" of unequal lengths, in order that the difficulty of catching one of the fingers 24 may be varied. Obviously it will be more difficult to trap one of the rotating fingers 24 if the rules or players specify that the finger must be caught between the closer spaced arms 42 defining the shorter section B.

Iclaim:

1. A skill type game, comprising frame means mounted on a base support for rotation relative thereto about an axis, catch means disposed adjacent said rotatable frame means and movable by a player of the game from an inoperative position to a catch position in an attempt to catch selected portions of said frame means as the frame means rotates about its axis,

and a character member associated with each of said selected portions and removably mounted on the frame means, so as to provide a scoring means in that a character member may be removed from the frame means when its associated selected portion is caught by the catch means.

2. The game of claim 1 wherein said selected portions are formed rigid with said frame means whereby when one of said selected portions is caught by said catch means the rotating frame means is stopped.

3. The game of claim 2 wherein said selected portions of the frame means comprise fingerlike portions extending radially outwardly from the frame means at spaced intervals about the periphery thereof, and said catch means includes means for embracing the finger portions when the catch means is in said catch position.

4. The game of claim 1 wherein said rotatable frame means has means defining a generally circular peripheral portion concentric with said axis, with said selected portions being angularly spaced about said peripheral portion of the frame means.

5. The game of claim 4 wherein said selected portions of the frame means comprise fingerlike portions extending radially outwardly from said generally circular peripheral portion, and said catch means includes means for embracing the finger portions when the catch means is in said catch" position.

6. The game of claim 5 wherein said selected portions are equally spaced about said circular peripheral portion.

7. The game of claim 4 wherein said catch means includes a lever member mounted for pivotal movement about an axis disposed intermediate the ends of the lever, with one end of the lever having a catch portion in position for engaging said selected portions, and the opposite end of the lever being engageable by a player of the game to pivot the lever about its axis.

8. The game of claim 1 wherein said frame means comprises a spoked wheel with the outer ends of the spokes terminating in fingerlike portions extending radially outwardly from said axis and defining said selected portions, and said catch means includes means movable into position to embrace the finger portions when the catch means is in said catch" position.

9. The game of claim 8 wherein the fingerlike portions at the ends of said spokes are equally spaced from said axis. 

1. A skill type game, comprising frame means mounted on a base support for rotation relative thereto about an axis, catch means disposed adjacent said rotatable frame means and movable by a player of the game from an inoperative position to a ''''catch'''' position in an attempt to catch selected portions of said frame means as the frame means rotates about its axis, and a character member associated with each of said selected portions and removably mounted on the frame means, so as to provide a scoring means in that a character member may be removed from the frame means when its associated selected portion is caught by the catch means.
 2. The game of claim 1 wherein said selected portions are formed rigid with said frame means whereby when one of said selected portions is caught by said catch means the rotating frame means is stopped.
 3. The game of claim 2 wherein said selected portions of the frame means comprise finger-like portions extending radially outwardly from the frame means at spaced intervals about the periphery thereof, and said catch means includes means for embracing the finger portions when the catch means is in said ''''catch'''' position.
 4. The game of claim 1 wherein said rotatable frame means has means defining a generally circular peripheral portion concentric with said axis, with said selected portions being angularly spaced about said peripheral portion of the frame means.
 5. The game of claim 4 wherein said selected portions of the frame means comprise finger-like portions extending radially outwardly from said generally circular peripheral portion, and said catch means includes means for embracing the finger portions when the catch means is in said ''''catch'''' position.
 6. The game of claim 5 wherein said selected portions are equally spaced about said circular peripheral portion.
 7. The game of claim 4 wherein said catch means includes a lever member mounted for pivotal movement about an axis disposed intermediate the ends of the lever, with one end of the lever having a catch portion in position for engaging said selected portions, and the opposite end of the lever being engageable by a player of the game to pivot the lever about its axis.
 8. The game of claim 1 wherein said frame means comprises a spoked wheel with the outer ends of the spokes terminating in finger-like portions extending radially outwardly from said axis and defining said selected portions, and said catch means includes means movable into position to embrace the finger portions when the catch means is in said ''''catch'''' position.
 9. The game of claim 8 wherein the finger-like portions at the ends of said spokes are equally spaced from said axis. 